The meaning of an idiom is different from the actual meaning of the words used. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a proverb. Proverbs are old but familiar sayings that usually give advice. Both idioms and proverbs are part of our daily speech.

Objectives

National proverbs and idioms in other languages

Progress test

Homework

Used to – what did you used to do

Abdulmonem’s presentation on the 20th century and listening to Tina Charles for the first time

So that and ‘so’.

So and so that

Alice got up at 5:00 A.M., so that she could drive her son to school.Alice got up at 5:00 A.M., so she could drive her son to school.

If you are wondering about the difference between the two sentences, the first states Alice’s reason for waking up early, while the second implies that she was successful in her intention.

This is not a distinction always observed by native speakers.

It is confusing, because “so” (when used as a conjunction) can mean “therefore” or can be an abbreviated form of “so that” (meaning “in order that.”) In this way “so” has two distinct but similar meanings.

Subjectively I would say that using “so” in place of “so that” sounds a little informal and maybe a tiny bit childish, but is fine in conversational contexts.